KR20020068915A - An electroplating apparatus and electroplating method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus is provided which uniformizes plating thickness, external appearance and current distribution and optimizes contact points of the cathode during plating of a non-conductive object to be plated in a rotating barrel, and an electroplating method using the apparatus is provided. CONSTITUTION: In a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus plating the objects to be plated by agitating and mixing small objects to be plated(16) with a plating solution in a plating vessel(1), the apparatus comprises a barrel(10) in which the objects to be plated(16) are received; a rotating means for rotating the barrel(10) in the plating solution to a certain rotation speed; and a plurality of dummy electrodes(30) which are received in the barrel(10) together with the objects to be plated(16) so as to be agitated and mixed with the plating solution, wherein the rotating means comprises a driving shaft(20) on which a first driving gear(21a) and a second driving gear(21b) are formed, which penetrates supports(14) of the barrel(10), and which is driven by a driving means on the outer part of the plating vessel(1); and a driven gear(22) which is installed in the barrel(10) in such a way that the driven gear(22) is engaged with the second driving gear(21b) of the driving shaft(20).

Description

Barrel type electroplating apparatus and plating method using the same {An electroplating apparatus and electroplating method}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus and a plating method using the same, in particular, nickel plating in the process of electroplating nickel on a molybdenum surface that is thermocompressed to a plate made of a non-conductive ceramic using a dummy electrode. It relates to a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus and a plating method using the same to improve the plating thickness uniformity and plating efficiency of the.

In general, plating refers to coating a thin film of a different material on the surface of a material for the purpose of improving the surface condition of the material. The purpose of such plating is various, but the first is to compensate for the lack of corrosion resistance of the first raw material. The method of coating a metal thin film that can withstand a specific environment (second), the surface hardening of a metal thin film harder than the raw material to withstand the wear, the third surface beautification of the thin film of precious metal or beautiful metal alloy on the surface of the raw material, Fourth, it is used to increase the reflectance of light or heat, or to improve the reflectivity and smoothing of the surface to which the metal thin film is applied for smooth surface and gloss.

Types of plating having this purpose are divided into electroplating, molten metal immersion plating, spray spray plating, evaporation plating, cathode spray plating, etc., dual electroplating is most widely used.

In electroplating, the electrolytic solution is filled in a plating tank, and then the electrode (cathode) is used as the metal (plating body) to be plated, and the electrode (anode) is used as the anode (anode). It is used in that the desired metal ions are electrolytically precipitated on the surface of the plated body by being placed in an electrolytic solution containing metal ions to be applied and energized.

In addition, electroplating is a rack-type method in which a large amount of parts, such as an automobile pump or toaster, is usually hung from a plating tank to a rack, and small parts such as washers, nuts, bolts, and screws are barreled. Barrel method is to fill the inside and to rotate while plating in the plating tank.

In particular, the electroplating apparatus adopting the barrel method has a great advantage in terms of labor cost and productivity per unit time compared to the rack method because it is suitable for plating a large number of small parts, but because a large number of small parts are plated at once, Accordingly, there has been a problem in that a great variation occurs in appearance and plating thickness due to variations in current conduction and current distribution.

In addition, when the component to be plated is non-conductive, such as ceramic or non-ferrous metal, there has been a problem that the plating thickness is uneven because the conduction is reduced between the cathode and the anode during stirring and mixing with the plating solution in the rotating barrel.

To address this, many efforts have been made, such as to uniformly roll or mix the plates located in the rotating barrel, to make the current distribution uniform, or to optimize the cathode contact.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus and an electric apparatus using the same, which not only make the plating thickness and appearance uniform in the process of plating the non-conductive plating body in the rotating barrel, but also optimize the uniformity of the current distribution and the cathode contact. The purpose is to provide a plating method.

In order to achieve the above object, the rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention is a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus for plating by mixing a small plated body with a plating solution of a plating bath, the barrel containing the plated body therein; And rotating means for rotating the barrel at a predetermined speed in the plating solution, and a plurality of dummy electrodes accommodated in the barrel at the same time as the plating body and stirred together with the plating solution.

In addition, the plating method according to the present invention is a plating method using a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus in which the plating to be plated is accommodated in the barrel, stirred and mixed in the plating solution of the plating bath, and the plating is performed. Two dummy electrodes are simultaneously stirred and mixed with the plated body to be plated.

1 is a plan view for explaining a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a front view for explaining a dummy electrode used in the rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side view for explaining the dummy electrode used in the rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention.

※ Explanation of code about main part of drawing ※

1: plating bath 10: barrel

11 cathode electrode 14 support

15 nickel plate 16 plating

20: drive shaft 21a, 21b: first and second drive gear

22: driven gear 30: dummy electrode

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention.

1 is a plan view of a rotating barrel electroplating apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a rotating barrel electroplating apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown, the rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention is for plating a non-conductive plating material such as ceramic or non-ferrous metal, the barrel 10 of the plating apparatus is plated in the vertical direction by an elevator (not shown) It is connected to the support 14 placed in the left and right to be lifted into the jaw (1), the support 4 and both ends are rotatably connected to the bearing device.

Here, the upper end of the support 14 is formed with a ring portion 16 to be caught on the hook of the elevator, the barrel 10 is lifted by the elevator.

The barrel 10 is typically formed in a circular or polygonal cross-section, but is formed in a polygon to improve the rolling effect in the rolling process, and the plating bath is formed by forming a plurality of holes through which the plating liquid is drawn on the outer surface of the polygon. When it is lifted on (1), the plating solution is allowed to flow inside.

Here, the nickel plate 15 is located at one side as a current plate to which a positive current is applied to the inside of the plating tank 1 to perform nickel plating on the surface of the plated body 16 as a plated body.

Then, the barrel 10 is provided with a rotating means for rotating the barrel at a predetermined speed in the plating bath 1 in order to stir and mix the plating 16 and the plating solution with each other.

Here, the rotating means is installed to penetrate through the support 14, the first driving gear 21a driven by the driving means formed on the outside of the plating tank 1 at one end and the second driving gear 21b at the stop portion. And a driven gear 22 provided at one end of the barrel 10 in engagement with the second driving gear 21b of the driving shaft 20.

Therefore, when the barrel 10 is lifted inside the plating tank 1 by the elevator, the driving means installed outside the plating tank and the first driving gear 21a of the driving shaft are engaged with each other to rotate, and accordingly, the second driving of the driving shaft is performed. As the gear 21b rotates in engagement with the driven gear 22 of the barrel, the barrel 10 rotates at a predetermined speed.

In addition, both ends of the barrel 10 are provided with a cathode rod 11 for supplying while intermittently internal current for electroplating.

Here, the cathode rods 11 are provided with flanges 12 at both ends of the barrel 10, and the cathode rods are inserted into the flange 12 to supply or interrupt the current.

At this time, the cathode rod 11 is insulated so as to protrude from the both ends of the barrel to the center of the barrel 1/3 or 1/4 point using the insulator 13 to be insulated.

In this way, the cathode rod 11 is positioned so as to protrude from the both ends of the barrel to the center of the barrel by 1/3 or 1/4 so that the cathode rod 11 is positioned at both ends of the barrel when the cathode rod is positioned near both ends of the barrel. Is good, but it is because it is a position suitable for making the conductance inside the barrel uniform in order to solve that the conduction at the center of the barrel falls.

In addition, in order to improve plating efficiency of the plated body 16, the conductive dummy electrode 30 is housed together with the small plated body and mixed with the plating solution in the barrel 10 to improve the plating efficiency of the plated body 16.

3 and 4, the dummy electrode 30 includes a flat head 31 and a protrusion 32 vertically inserted into the head and formed longer than the length of the head. Let 'be the' T 'form.

In addition, the dummy electrode 30 is such that the longitudinal length (a) of the head portion and the transverse length (b) of the protrusion is 3: 4 ratio, the longitudinal length (a) of the head portion is 3mm, and the protrusion portion It is preferable to make the horizontal length b 4 mm.

Here, the mixing of the plating body 16 and the dummy electrode 30 in the barrel 10 together and stirring is to improve the plating efficiency by making the degree of current distribution inside the barrel uniform and at the same time good conduction.

That is, as the barrel 10 is rotated to simultaneously stir and mix the plated body 16 and the dummy electrode 30, the dummy electrode is positioned between the plated body and the plated body so that the plated body 16 quickly becomes a surface layer. Not only serves to push out the plated body to come out, but also improves the electrical conductivity between the cathode rod 11 to which the current of the cathode is applied and the nickel plate 15 as the anode to which the current of the anode is applied.

Therefore, in the rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention, a current distribution is obtained by stirring and mixing the plating body and the dummy electrode in the plating solution in a state in which the dummy electrode separate from the plating body 16 is stored in the barrel 10. It becomes uniform and improves electricity supply, and can obtain a uniform plating thickness.

In addition, in the rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus according to the present invention, the cathode rod is protruded from both ends of the barrel by a certain distance, thereby improving current conduction inside the barrel, thereby obtaining a uniform plating thickness.

As described above, the rotating barrel electroplating apparatus according to the present invention uses a dummy electrode to maintain a uniform current distribution and current conduction inside the barrel during stirring and mixing of the plating body and the plating liquid, thereby making it non-conductive and compact. Plating having a uniform thickness on the surface of the plurality of plating bodies is possible, thereby improving the plating efficiency.

In addition, since the cathode rod is installed in the barrel to be close to the center of the barrel, it is possible to prevent uniformity of conduction according to both ends and the center position of the barrel, thereby enabling plating of a uniform thickness on the surface of the plated body.

Claims (10)

In a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus for plating a small plated body by stirring and plating with a plating solution of a plating bath, A barrel in which the plating body is stored; Rotating means for rotating the barrel at a predetermined speed inside the plating solution; Rotating barrel-type electroplating apparatus characterized in that it comprises a plurality of dummy electrodes accommodated in the barrel and mixed with the plating solution at the same time. The method of claim 1, The rotating means includes a drive shaft installed to penetrate the support of the barrel and the first drive gear and the second drive gear is driven by a drive means outside the plating tank; A rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus, comprising: a driven gear installed in the barrel to mesh with a second driving gear of the drive shaft. The method of claim 1, The dummy electrode has a head; Rotating barrel-type electroplating apparatus, characterized in that the cross-section is formed in a 'T' shape comprising a projection vertically entered into the head longer than the length of the head. The method of claim 3, Rotating barrel-type electroplating apparatus, characterized in that the length bar of the 'T'-shaped dummy electrode and the projection portion has a 3: 4 ratio. The method according to claim 3 or 4, The dummy electrode has a longitudinal length of the head portion of 3mm, the horizontal length of the projection portion of the rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus, characterized in that 4mm. The method of claim 1, Rotating barrel type, characterized in that the both ends of the barrel is insulated by an insulator for energization with the positive electrode plate installed in the plating bath, the cathode rod is formed to protrude to 1/3 or 1/4 point to the center of the barrel Electroplating device. In the plating method using a rotating barrel-type electroplating apparatus in which the plating to be plated is accommodated in the barrel and stirred while mixing in the plating solution of the plating bath. Plating method using a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus, characterized in that the plating by stirring and mixing the plurality of dummy electrodes accommodated in the barrel at the same time with the plating body. The method of claim 7, wherein The dummy electrode is formed of a flat head and a protrusion vertically inserted into the head, and the cross section is formed in a 'T' shape, and the head and the protrusion are plated using a ratio of 3: 4 in length. Plating method using a rotating barrel type electroplating apparatus, characterized in that. The method of claim 8, Plating method using a rotating barrel-type electroplating apparatus characterized in that the plating using the longitudinal length of the head portion is 3mm, the transverse length of the protrusion is 4mm. 8. The plating method according to claim 7, wherein the cathode rod is formed to protrude from the both ends of the barrel to the center of the barrel by 1/3 or 1/4 points and plated.